The Kings' Dustin Brown is knocked down by the Ducks' Ben Lovejoy in front of goaltender Jonas Hiller during the second period of Game 1 on Saturday at Honda Center. KEVIN SULLIVAN, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

ANAHEIM – Losses are often reviewed by the defeated team the following day, with time spent to search for answers to explain how it happened and learning from mistakes made so that they aren’t repeated.

At least that’s the goal. The Ducks were studying a Game 1 loss to the Kings in which they took the physical game to them, generated more high-grade scoring chances, carried the play often and had plenty of attempts to grab a series lead.

Try processing that one.

“Well, losses are losses,” Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf said. “You’ve got to put them behind you and get ready for the next one. In the playoffs, it’s always that way. We know that we’re going to have to win four. We’ve just got to do it before they do.”

There will be losses in the playoffs for every team to deal with but the Ducks must get past letting a thrilling opener to the Western Conference semifinal get away from them.

If it wasn’t for the Kings’ Marian Gaborik factoring in every score of a 3-2 overtime triumph Saturday night, the Ducks would be spending Sunday enjoying the payoff of executing their hard-hitting game plan.

Satisfaction was only partial. Winning ultimately matters, which is what the Ducks must do in Game 2 at home before the series switches to Staples Center for Games 3 and 4.

“We’re not depressed,” Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. “We’re ready to play tomorrow, and hopefully play better and see where it ends up.

“I’d be more depressed if we didn’t play any good and we lost, because I liked the way we did a lot of the things yesterday so hopefully we can continue to do that.”

There was one thing the Ducks agreed on that wasn’t up to task in Game 1.

“We had chances again last night. I think we had times when we could have shot the puck and we might have held on looking for that perfect pass.”

Not enough shots were thrown at Kings goalie Jonathan Quick, who made 33 saves. And when the Ducks had him and the Kings on the ropes, they couldn’t land the knockout punch.

Long after the game ended, Corey Perry couldn’t help but watch highlights of his potential winner in overtime instead get kicked aside by Kings defenseman Alec Martinez in front of the net as a scrambling Quick was down and out.

Before that were the final seconds of regulation when the Ducks couldn’t get one last puck down the ice and the Kings able to throw it on goalie Jonas Hiller, with Gaborik quickly batting in a rebound as only seven ticks remained.

“I was up for a while, thinking of what could have been,” Perry said. “I thought we played a pretty solid game, a couple of bounces here and there, and it could be a different story.”

It was the kind of loss that will keep a team up at night. Now the Ducks have to write a different story for Game 2 or there’s a giant hole to start digging out from.

“The best thing now is to put it behind us and take the good from it,” Bonino said. “We had the game pretty much wrapped up with 40 seconds left. We got to be able to close out in the playoffs.”

SELANNE GETS PHYSICAL

Goals don’t come nearly as often for Teemu Selanne as they once did so getting his first since March 23 to break a third-period tie had the winger beaming until the Kings’ late heroics.

“It felt great,” Selanne said. “I haven’t scored for a while, so it was pretty special. But I’m feeling pretty good though, that’s the key. I think our line played pretty well. I thought everyone played pretty well last night.”

Selanne displayed a rare physical edge to his game as he launched himself into Kings defenseman Robyn Regehr twice in the first period. Regehr ultimately couldn’t return to the game.

“I think the last two games, he’s been really good,” Boudreau said. “He’s found a little bit of a fountain of youth. He’s hitting guys, which isn’t really his game, but is committed to the cause.

“Hopefully, he hits enough for us that he can do the same thing for us tomorrow.”

HILLER ‘ADEQUATE’

Hiller stopped 33 of 36 shots in his first start of the playoffs. Did he do enough to warrant a Game 2 start? Boudreau, who has played coy with his goaltending decisions, thought Hiller “did an adequate job.”

“I didn’t think there was much he could do in the goals against,” the coach said. “He stopped the ones that he had to.”

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.